Signs of infection after childbirth

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Man - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital. The doctor has more than 10 years of experience in diagnosing, consulting and treating in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Postpartum infection, also known as postpartum infection, is one of the most common obstetric complications, due to the bacteria entering the genital tract through the birth wound and residing in the place where the placenta attaches in the uterus. to cause disease in all parts of the genital tract or may spread further.

1. What is postpartum infection?

Postpartum infection only occurs in pregnant women after giving birth, caused by bacteria in the genitals. There are cases where the patient has an infection in the perineum, vagina, vulva, cervix or in the uterus. A few have postpartum sepsis, which is very serious and difficult to treat, this case has a high mortality rate.
Currently, with the development of medicine, the application of sterilization and aseptic methods in childbirth, so the rate of pregnant women with postpartum infections has decreased significantly compared to before. However, this situation is still quite common in mountainous, remote and mountainous areas.

2. What causes postpartum infection?

Medicine has proven that all common bacteria such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, anaerobic bacteria, Coli bacilli... can be the causative agent of postpartum infections. These bacteria are often present in the living environment around us, when they meet favorable conditions, they will enter the body through lesions in the vagina, vulva or the placenta attached at the bottom of the uterus. to cause disease.
Some of the main causes of postpartum infection can be:
Because the mother has an infection of the vulva, perineum, vagina, and cervix during the process of episiotomy, which is not sterile. Bacterial... Due to postpartum infection in the uterus (with levels such as myositis, endometritis, inflammation of the whole uterus Due to postpartum peritonitis: In case of cesarean section. in which women have uterine rupture, amniotic fluid infection, cesarean section or poor sterility, forget gauze during surgery Postpartum sepsis: This is the most severe form of postpartum infection because it is not detected and Early treatment The degree of severe or mild postpartum infection will depend on the toxicity of the bacteria, the health of the mother and their antibiotic resistance depending on whether the disease is detected and treated sooner or later.

3. Signs of infection after birth

When having a postpartum infection, depending on the location of the bacteria, the patient will have different signs, specifically:
In case of infection in the perineum and vulva, the patient will have signs swelling, perineal edema, vulva, perineal sutures with pus. If the postpartum infection in the cervix, vagina, there will be a lot of foul-smelling discharge, when examined, it will be painful. Uterine infection is very rare, the course is often more severe, manifesting as a foul-smelling discharge, possibly bloody, and the uterus is painful to the touch. Postpartum infections in the appendages (ovaries, fallopian tubes, ligaments) are often prolonged, easily turning into chronic diseases if not treated definitively. Generalized peritonitis and pelvic peritonitis are warning signs when bacteria from the genital tract invade the abdomen and pelvis. This case is very dangerous, it is necessary to operate to drain the pus and if not careful, it is easy to leave sequelae after surgery.
Signs of thrombophlebitis make the legs swollen, painful and hot. If a blood clot moves to the heart, causing a heart attack, it can move to the brain and cause a cerebral infarction, which can cause sudden death. This form can cause sudden death. In addition, bacteria can go directly from the genitals into the bloodstream, causing bacteremia after birth, leading to a very high mortality rate.

4. What to do when you have an infection after giving birth?

After giving birth, a woman usually undergoes uterine contractions to expel the fluid, which takes about 2 weeks. However, if after 4 days of giving birth, the mother has a high fever, slow contraction of the uterus and little discharge, signs of stasis, a bad smell, when pressing on the uterus, it feels painful, think about it. In case of postpartum infection, you should immediately contact your doctor for timely examination and treatment.
In case the pregnant woman has an infection of the perineum and vulva, it can be treated by washing the vulva and perineum with antiseptic water, removing the sutures soon if there is an episiotomy and using topical antibiotics and Body. If the infection is in the cervix and vagina, use sterile gauze to clean the vagina and cervix daily, put antibiotics in the vagina to kill bacteria. If the woman has a postpartum infection in the uterus, she must cure it to check if there are any membranes left over or not.
In order to effectively prevent post-partum infection, every mother needs to be conscious of hygiene during pregnancy, especially in the days nearing delivery. Absolutely do not bathe or soak in ponds with dirty water. If you suspect an infection in the genital area, you need to go to a medical facility for examination and treatment immediately.

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